Drill Down

Drill down allows you to explore multidimensional data by navigating from a general level down to a more detailed level. This allows you to view aggregated, summary data and explore deeper levels of the data for specific analysis. This is one of the key functions of Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), which enables users to answer complex multidimensional data queries.

From the user perspective, drill down exists in the user interface for users to click on some representation of data to reveal finer levels of it. Conceptually, this exists everywhere in your computing atmosphere. Every day we click on folders in your computer to get somewhere more specific. We practice this on web pages when we click on links on a homepage to navigate through deeper levels from that page. On a daily basis, we drill down through data all the time.

This function exists also in many modern business intelligence reporting tools. Users may create interactive ad hoc reports that feature drill down capabilities, allowing them to click on certain aggregated data values to reveal a more specific level within that hierarchy. This allows you to find the right level of data to answer your business questions.

Key takeaways

Drill down allows you to explore multidimensional data by navigating from a general level down to the next.

Drill down exists in the user interface for users to click on some representation of data to reveal finer levels of it.

Drill down reporting offers the ability to dig deeper into reports for analytical purposes.